There’s been a lot of talk around #coronavirus comms and the role of the White House vs the agencies this week, and as someone who used to work in the space I wanted to share some thoughts—apologies for the long thread. 1/18
Effective, actionable public communication from the federal gov’t is crucial during a crisis—and the line between coordination with, and direction from, the WH can be an art, not a science—that said, I think it’s important to level set on what “normal” was before 2017. 2/18
Described below is how FEMA handled disaster response comms—similar protocols existed at HHS and CDC for health emergencies. 3/18
As head of External Affairs at FEMA, my team helped develop and implement the Obama admin’s protocols for public communications during a disaster response—these protocols were based on templates inherited from the Bush administration and developed after Katrina. 4/18
The protocols emphasized consistency and clarity of information—we always worked to ensure our state and local partners, and the public, had a sober sense of how things were going and access to easily digestible information about how they could help. 5/18
Crisis are, by their nature, chaotic—even a well run response will cause inconveniences, disruptions, and put Americans in positions where they have to face unexpected challenges in real time. Every day of response is a little different, and the facts are a moving target. 6/18
That’s why it was key to know before an event occurred what info we’d be sharing, how we'd be sharing it, and to practice those protocols—as communicators, we were expected to practice constantly at FEMA, just like our operational colleagues. 7/18
During the response phase we released information twice a day—mid morning, and at the end of the business day—including stats on disaster impacts, info about federal activities, and any updates to public guidance. This info was presented in the same format every time. 8/18
The numbers were shared with the WH before release, but they were never manipulated or suppressed. We also provided updated information to the WH every day before the daily WH briefing—these briefings were a critical tool to keep citizens in the loop. 9/18
FEMA would also hold briefings, live and on camera, during particularly intense response periods. Our Administrator, Craig Fugate, believed a core part of his job was sharing honest information with the public, and was a regular presence on TV, radio and social media. 10/18
We also held daily calls (twice a day if needed) with our state and local counterparts to ensure that we could answer their questions and provide them directly with info—these calls had been developed under the Bush administration and were also practiced on a regular basis. 11/18
The division of labor was not only appropriate, it helped everyone stay on task—we worried about getting out updates and actionable public information, and the WH was free to focus on policy and the President’s messaging (plus, you know, running the rest of the gov’t). 12/18
I saw these same standards—and divisions of labor—employed at DHS in relation to terrorism events, and at DOD in regards to military affairs. These weren't unique to the Obama years, but were practices and standards that served America well under GOP and Dem presidents. 13/18
We weren’t always perfect, either in our response or our comms, but we were clear in our approach. 14/18
Practice and develop relationships before events occur. Amplify state and local messages. Be consistent in the timing and format of information. Always be honest, even when the facts show challenges, not progress. Coordinate, don't dictate. Let the experts talk. 15/18
We believed that more info, even when it showed there were challenges, helped people make decisions and stay calm. We tried to live by the guidance that @WCraigFugate gave when I took the FEMA position—the best way to get good press is to do a good job. 16/18
Communicating around these issues is hard, even when you have a full squad, clear leadership, and are well practiced—so let me end by saying thank you to all the federal, state and local PAOs and others working right now to get the message out. 17/18
Also, crisis response is a team sport, and this approach reflects the work of too many to name, including the 2009 WH/DHS/FEMA crew that refined these plans @nick_shapiro Sean Smith @juliettekayyem @clarkstevens @BradCarroll @alisonkschwartz @RealBobJ and many more 18/18
